So, in the past few days I've read a lot on this forum about Western style and Eastern style methods. What does that mean exactly? Are you simply talking about the differences in teaware or are you also steeping times, temperatures, quantities, tea/water ratios, etc....?

Kabouterke wrote:So, the brewing suggestions that are sometimes provided on tea packages... what would they be?

They would be exactly that, suggestions. I prefer my teas brewed more dilute and lower temp for more delicate flavor than most package suggestions--western or eastern--would yield. So I use them as only a gauge to suggest where I might want to start my brewing.